Last Thursday, authorities in eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang gave verdict for jail terms for a period of 12 and 14 years to an Orthodox Pastor couple following a crackdown on churches in "China's Jerusalem."
The Wucheng District People's Court in Jinhua City sentenced pastors Bao Guohua and his wife Xing Wenxiang of the Holy Love Christian church to 14 and 12 years of imprisonment respectively.
They were both found guilty of "encroachment," "running an illegal business," "disturbing public order," and "concealing financial records," their congregants told RFA.
According to the local police and the media, the couples allegedly led "greedy lives", and the cash and jewelry from congregants' donation was reportedly found in the couple's home.
Additionally, the court also handed suspended jail sentences to 10 other church members. The other church members were allowed to walk away freely after the sentencing.
Notably, the sentences were passed after the authorities detained 16 pastors and other church members in and around Wenzhou city of Zhejiang during confrontation with the authority over a cross removal program.
China, presently, is home to an estimated 60 million Protestant Christians, some 23 million of whom are members of the government-backed Three-Self Patriotic Movement, as required by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
The ruling party of China presently oversees every aspect of religious life, including the activities of the organization, the financial and employment records. The governing authority also appoints respective religious personnel and vetoes religious practices and publications, according to reports from Human Rights Watch (HRW) of New York.
Notably, the sentences were passed after the authorities detained 16 pastors and other church members in and around Wenzhou city of Zhejiang during confrontation with the authority over a cross removal program.
At least a hundred Christians have reportedly been briefly detained for resisting the demolitions since the start of the "Cross removal"campaign in early 2014, the group said in a statement on its website.
Last year, Zhejiang authorities launched a regional campaign targeting visible church crosses for demolition as "illegal structures" in the name of civic pride.
Thus, the pastors Bao and Xing are not the first to face jail sentences for their opposition, but it is to be seen if they will be the last.
